Isn't It Romantic
by dynamic-instability
Summary: Jude is happy with her relationship with Speid, but it's Valentine's Day, and a conversation with Tommy gives her a little moment of doubt. Short scene set mid season 2.


**A/N:** The prompt was Valentine's Day, sorry it's slightly late. I didn't actually have the idea until around 10 PM on the 14th. This is set in the second season between "Hallelujah" (17th birthday episode) and "When I Come Around" (when Jude and Speid break up) and then also at the beginning of the 3rd season episode "18". This period of time in the second season canonically takes place in the Fall, but I moved it because it's fan fiction and I can do what I want okay. Besides, it's not like the IS writers cared much about that kind of continuity anyway.

This has all been written and published within two hours, which I think is a quicker turnaround than pretty much anything I've ever written, so keep that in mind, and if you see any typos please let me know.

* * *

It was Valentine's Day, just after Jude turned 17. She and Tommy had a session, a few hours in the afternoon after school, and as they were finishing up he asked casually if she had any special plans. She was confused for a second and he raised an eyebrow. "Valentine's Day?"

"Oh. Right. Not really. I think Spied and Wally and Kyle and I are gonna meet up and play some stuff, maybe get pizza, I don't know."

He smirked at her. "Your boyfriend seriously invited his bandmates to a date on Valentine's Day?"

She shrugged. "It wasn't a date." The truth was that Jude _had_ been trying to suggest a date, but she'd done it in front of Kyle, who'd invited himself, and Spied had apparently not picked up on her intentions. It didn't bother her that much, honestly, but part of her wondered if maybe it should've bothered her more. Tommy was still smirking at her, so she crossed her arms and said, "So then I suppose you've got some big elaborate plans that blow mine out of the water."

He smiled wryly. "I'm single now, remember? There was a whole thing with a hot tub…"

She felt a little twinge of guilt over the hot tub thing, and another about Sadie, but she pushed them away. "Right, I know, but still, you're really spending Valentine's Day alone? You?"

He rolled his eyes. "It isn't exactly a great day for a casual date, Harrison."

"Aren't there scores of desperate, lonely single girls out on Valentine's Day, though? Wouldn't it be like, easy pickings?"

"Jesus, Jude." Tommy actually looked offended. "I'm not a _predator_ , God."

"I didn't mean it like that. Forget I said anything." She looked at her watch. "If we're done I should go meet Spied."

He smirked. "Your romantic evening with SME awaits."

"Whatever," Jude snapped, annoyed. "Me and Spied, we're just not one of those couples, okay? We don't make a big deal about stupid commercialized stuff like Valentine's Day."

He raised his eyebrows, his expression more serious. "And that's what you want?" His voice was suddenly softer, lower, and it made goosebumps stand up on her arms.

"Yes," she said firmly. "Obviously." The smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth again, and she felt another surge of annoyance. "It is!" she protested. "I don't care about that stuff, okay? We have fun together. So what if he's not like, a romantic? I don't want that anyway."

He snorted a laugh and looked away to shut down the computer. "Inviting your friends to a date goes beyond not being a romantic."

She glared at him when he turned back around. "Oh so I suppose you'd consider _yourself_ a romantic, Quincy?"

"I know how to do romantic, Harrison." His voice was low again, and it made her heart flutter in a way she tried desperately to ignore.

"Right, I'm sure," she said sarcastically, but she kept her eyes locked on his, and her voice went a little breathy.

He arched an eyebrow and leaned in slightly as he studied her face for a moment. A faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Maybe some day you'll find out," he said softly. Her heart felt like it skipped a few beats, and she thought for a split second that maybe he was going to kiss her. She didn't think she'd stop him if he did.

And then he pulled back and turned away to grab his jacket from the chair, slipping it on before turning back to her with a knowing smile. "Happy Valentine's Day, girl." He turned and walked out of the studio.

.

A little less than a year later, when Jude walks into her rehearsal space, sees the candles and the strawberries and the chocolate, she laughs. Tommy quirks an eyebrow at her, but she's not laughing because there's anything wrong, it's because it's all so _right_. He's had so many layers of persona over the years that sometimes she doesn't know what to expect from him, especially not from a _relationship_ with him, but this is perfect. She laughs, not because she was expecting anything different, exactly, but because the memory of that conversation pops into her head.

"What's funny?" he asks.

"You're gonna burn the place down," she says, gesturing to all the candles.

He frowns slightly. "You don't like it?"

She turns and puts her hands on his shoulders, smiling wide. "It's perfect." He smiles too, putting his arms around her waist. It's still a rush to be able to touch him like this, still so unreal that this is finally happening. "You're good at this, aren't you?" she asks.

He raises his eyebrows. "Good at what?"

"The big date thing. You're like, a romantic."

He considers the label for a moment, then shrugs. "I don't know. I guess I am." He reaches up a hand, lightly stroking her cheek with the backs of his fingers. "Does that surprise you?"

She beams at him and shakes her head. "Not at all."


End file.
